Water motor



H- M. DAvls WATER MOTOR Sept. 11,1923. '3943167'975 H. M. DAVIS WATER MOTOR Filed July l, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTO? Patented Sept.. 11,1923.

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HERBERT M. DAVIS, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

WATER MOTOR.

Application filed July 1,

To all w/w/m, t may concern.

Be it knownthat I, HERBERT M. Davis, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State` of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vater Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to water power devices whereby the tremendous power carried or possessed by the movement of streams or bodies of water may be utilized to great advantage. j

It being well understood that the surf water along'theseaooast as it f iowstoward the shore has considerable power, one of the objects of this invention isI to provide mechanism of a nature adapted to utilize a large percentageof such power and. convert it to useful purposes.

More specifically stated I haveas one object of my invention to sov mount a power element as to 4be rotated in a predetermined direction by the foroeof the surf water as it flows or rolls toward the shore, such force being exerted practically continuously and irrespective of the rise and fall of the tide and without material interference with the undertow or reverse flow of the water.

With'the foregoing and other objects in view theinventionv consistsin the arrange ment and combination of parts hereinafter described andclaimed. and while the invention is notV restricted to the exact details of` construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose ofillustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the lseveralviews, and in which- *Figure l is a plan viewindicating a preferred embodiment of my mechanism. j

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line 2-2.

Fig. 3 isa vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig.r 2. j

Fig. 4 is anenlarged side'view of one of the power units. j j

Fig. 5 is an end view of the same mechanism. I Fig. 6 ris a bottom plan view of one of the floatsv and the hanger for the shaft.

In carrying out my idea in a practical form I build or erect in any suitable manner a pairof parallel abutments or but` 1922. serial No. 572,234.

tresses l0, thesame extending out from the shore line as far as may be required into the ocean. 'Ihese buttresses are spaced from each other a suitable distance to accommodate the movable parts between them, and except as now to be stated they are free from each other. I do not wish to be limited in any manner as to the size, design, materials, 0r spacing of these members, it being understood merely that they are of a suitable size and construction and of rigid stationary nature. j

Arranged between the buttresses and preferably mid-way thereof is a rotary power device comprising any desired number of connected units, the length of each unit as well as the number thereofbeing subject to a mere matter of selection in anv installation. As shown especially in Figs. 4 and 5 each unit comprises a shaft 11 upon which are xed in any suitable manner a series of blades l2, whereby the unit may be regarded as constituting a propeller. AS shown eachV propeller comprises six pairs of blades, each pair being made from a. single piece of material such as heavy sheet metal, the blades of each pair projecting in opposite directionsfrom the axis of the shaft and having their points or outer edges arranged spirally with respect to said axis and arranged with the inclination at about 50", more or less, from the plane of the axis. From Fig. 4 it will be noted that each blade or nearly all of each blade lies or projects forward or outward from the plane of the rear edge thereof perpendicular to the axis at the hub portion or point of connection with the axis. From this fact it follows that a current of water approaching the propeller in the direction of the arrows on Fig. 4 parallel to the shaft will strike against both blades of each pair, causing rotation of the shaft vas indicated, and the same current continuing in the same direction will act in succession upon allof the blades in the same manner. t will be seen also that since the spiral periphery of each blade lies approximately in the same continuous spiral as the corresponding periphery of the next adjacent blade the highest degree of efficiency is received. If the direotion of the flow of the propelling medium is at an angle to the shaft it will strike almost squarely against one blade of each pair while it will strikev against the edge of the o-pposite blade of the same pair. Thus the force will be exerted with high eiliciency irrespective kofthe direction in which the medium may be moving. Any suitable means may be provided to lock the several blades upon the shaft 11 in proper relation to one another.

Referring again to Figs. 1 and 2 I show at 13 a strong beam suchv as a metal I-beami` extending across between the outer ends of the buttresses 10, and in this beam `is secured a bearing socket 14 for the-connection at a fixed point of the outermost end of the shaft 11a., This connection isvindicated as being inthe Anature of a ball and socket, thereby permitting the shaft 11a tol oscillate up and down and yet be free to rotate. This beam 134 may be fixed at any desired elevation at or about mean tide level or at an elevation Y such-as will insure that the propellers will be held `at a substantially uniform distance beneath the surface of the water so that theyl will be subjected to the force of the waves `and yet be located practically abo-ve -the undertow or reverse current.

It beingremembered that the shaft members may be. of; considerable length and that theuentireapparatus may extend far out into the oceanit is necessary for the joints between thev adjacent shaft members to be suitablysupported to keep the propellers at the desired elevation. Consequently I pro vide one or more floats 15 of any suitable buoyant construction, the same being held from lateral movement in any directionby means of stanchions or guides such as: vertical angle members secured to the opposed inner sides of the buttresses. The floats beingvmade of wood or other buoyant material, it is advisable for each fioat where it has sliding contact withfan angle guide member 16, to be facedwith a metal angle member 17, the lower end of which is preferably extended as a bracket 18 beneath the ioat. The several brackets 18 constitute a hanger for a bearing 19 in which is fitted aball 20 in which the adjacent end of the shaft 11 is journaled and is free to slide endwise t0 compensate for the movement of the oat up or down its guide ways. As indicated in Fig.v 2 the ball 14 being-held at a fixed point, ifthehanger for the inner end of the shaft 11e moves downward toward theA level the shaft will necessarily be obliged to move endwise relatively through the ball.

The next shaft sectionllh is. connected to the first sectionvbymeans of a universal joint 21 ofany suitable construction so that one section will rotate with the other irre` spective of any poss-iblevariation in angle between their axes. The hanger over the inner end of; the second shaft section 1 1b is the Same, as. alreadyl described and therefore permitsthe, cndvise movement of thisshafft.

6.5 1,1.b to. compensatcfortheangular movement section 11C may be free to. ,slide endwise to.;l

compensate for the` conditions above dei scribed. Any suitable member suchA as a wheel 23. may be fixedto theend` of the sleeve or the last shaft section for the, de-

livery ofthe power incident to i'fh'erotation-v 0f the shaft. This-,member may be housed within a power house where thev power may:

be converted and from whichit may be transmitted as `may be found desirable-at any particular installatiom.

I claim: 1. In a water motor, the combination of a shaft, a series of propeller-blades mounted.;

thereon, the blades beingarranged vin pairs extending.'diametrically opposite each otherfrom` the shaft and with their points proj ecting and lying practically all in'advance of a pla-ne perpendicular. to the shaft at the point of connection between the hub thereof and the sha-ft, the peripheries of the blades beingy spirally arranged and with the periph` ery of one blade'fformingasubstantlal continuation of thespiral of the periphery of the blade of the next adjacent pair, and means to .fix the blades from rotation on the shaft.

2. In a water motor, the combination of a plurality of shaft-members, propeller means Y on each shaft member, stationaryA means to journal the, remote ends ofthe shaft members for rotation at fixed points means to sustain the intermediate` joints` between pairs of adjacent shaft members lfor -universal movement irrespective ofthe variabley angles between the axes of the adjacent shaft members, said suspending/means comprising floats, and means for4 holdingqthe-` flo-ats from'.` movement Ain any direction except vertically., Y

3.. In a water motor,1 the combinationofia plurality of shaft sections, universal jointl connections between adjacent sections,` propeller means on the several sections; afloat,`

for each universal'joint connection,-means to hold the float from lateral-movement in.;

any i direction, a hanger;A extending; beneath each lfloat for supporting the joint, andwa ball; andsocket bearing` fon the adjacent shaft providing i. forendwise. movement; ofil the shaftas well as. its-rotation;

4, Inra device 'of thaclassyset; forth, -the;`

combinatioafoff a pair ofiri-gidgsuppnrtsexs tending into the sea, a rigid beam extending inelosure, said journaling means comprising between them, a shaft having fixed ball and a sleeve journaled for rotation and into socket bearing` in said beam, a stationary which the adjacent end of the shaft is slid- 10 power inolosure for the remote end of the ably fitted.

5 shaft, propeller means on the shaft for rota- In testimony whereof I aHiX my signation thereof, and means for journaling the ture.

latter mentioned end of the shaft in said HERBERT M. DAVIS. 

